Foxes
by The May Waters
Summary: Judy has a scar that Nick just noticed.


**A/N: So depending on the mechanism you use to calculate out an age Judy and Nick's ages vary. For the sake of this fic I'm going for the calculation that puts Judy at 24 and Nick at 29.**

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Foxes

SI Foote

Judy had just finished with her shower, dressing quickly in casual clothes for her day off, and opened the bathroom door. As she was finishing up her morning routine, Nick came in to start his. She was used to this occurrence, though it had taken a while when he first moved in as her roommate. As partners for the ZPD (Zootopia Police Department) they had spent a lot of time together, Judy had been the one to offer they share the same living space to make it easier on them for work. Surprised, Nick had agreed, teasing her about secret ulterior motives. As Judy brushed her teeth, Nick looked around the small bathroom for his shampoo, which he insisted on hiding from her for some reason. He claimed it was because it would keep her from using it when she forgot to buy herself a new bottle.

Nick looked up at the mirror, just as Judy made to spit the remnants of foam from her mouth. His jaw dropped slightly as he saw a long scar running up her left cheek. Before he fully understood what he was doing, he had grabbed her chin and was pulling her face up to look at the mark better.

"Hey!" Judy protested, pushing at him with her feet. "What do you think you're doing?"

She landed back on the floor, taking several steps away from him, on guard.

"Sorry, I just, I've never seen that scar before."

"It's nothing, I usually try to keep it hidden."

"Well you've done a good job at that Hopps." Nick chuckled. "You want to talk about it?"

"It's really nothing, just something from when I was a kid." Judy played with the hem of her shirt.

"Right," he smiled. "Well I'm going to shower."

"Oh! Yes, yes. I'll be out there then." She pointed out to the main part of the apartment, quickly dashing out and closing the door firmly behind her.

Nick shook his head, there was something more to that scar, but he wouldn't pry.

It was a week later when he started to put together any puzzle pieces on exactly what had happened when she was a kid. Judy's parents had come in for the weekend to visit with only the smallest of her siblings, making the space extremely crowded. At one point the rabbit had left to pick up some food from the grocery store, effectively leaving Nick alone with her parents.

"Despite our first impressions of you Nick, we're really happy that you are good friends with Judy." Bonnie told him, she was sitting at the kitchen table peeling potatoes. All of the small rabbits were passed out on Judy's bed for a nap.

"Yes, we're terribly sorry for judging you just because you're a fox." Stu joined in.

"I'm used to it," Nick passed off.

"We're glad that Judy isn't holding anything against you after what happened with Gideon Grey when she was a kid." Bonnie nodded at her husband.

"Yes, he was a rather vicious bully as a kid. Good at baking pies though."

"What happened with this Gideon Grey?" Nick asked curiously.

"Oh well, he was the only fox in our town when she was growing up. Judy was always wanting to be a cop since she was young and they apparently rubbed the wrong way." Nick's ears picked up listening to Stu's story. "One year they got in a tussle at the fair and he scratched her something awful on her face. I don't think I've ever seen Jude the Dude cry that much."

"Left a pretty nasty scar on her too." Bonnie smiled. "I'm glad that she's friends with you Nick, I know you would never hurt her."

"So that's," he muttered remembering the first time he'd seen her scar just the week before.

"What was that dear?" Judy's mother prompted.

"Nothing, I was just thinking."

"Hey, I'm back." Judy called as she stepped into the apartment. "What are we talking about?"

"Just shooting off our mouths darling," Bonnie told her softly.

The next day her parents and siblings headed back to Bunnyburrow. When she returned home, Nick was waiting for her.

"Your parents told me how you got that scar," he said quietly as she passed him on her way into the kitchen.

"What?" She turned, caught off guard. "Did you ask them?"

"No, they just started talking." Nick put out his paw, gently folding it around hers. "I don't ever want to hurt you, and I don't want you to be scared of me."

"I'm not afraid of you Nick," Judy scoffed, making to turn back to her original goal, but was pulled back.

"Good."

His lips were on hers and Judy wasn't sure where it had come from. She certainly liked Nick, _but all this time he'd been in love with her?_ She stood still, completely in shock. He had pulled away quickly enough just holding her to his chest. Her ears were straight up, tickling his nose. She quickly lowered them when she realized.

"Nick," she tried to speak.

"Not right now," he whispered hoarsely.

Foxes were strange, she decided, but they sure were cuddly.


End file.
